How to pronounce last
Say it like LAST. Last is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
VoiceSpeed
US American/læst/LAST
UK British/lɑːst/LAHST
- LAST
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Last pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- LASTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of last
- British speakers use the long "ah" vowel of father where Americans use the "a" of cat.
British respelling: LAHST.
What does last mean?
adjective
- Final, ultimate, coming after all others of its kind.“Will try to fix it by myself for now: as a last resort, we can always take it to a grease monkey.”
- Most recent, latest, last so far.“The last time I saw him, he was married.”
- Farthest of all from a given quality, character, or condition; most unlikely, or least preferable.“He is the last person to be accused of theft.”
- The (one) immediately before the present.“We went there last year.”
- Closest in the past, or closest but one if the closest was very recent; of days, sometimes thought to specifically refer to the instance closest to seven days (one week) ago, or the most recent instance before seven days (one week) ago.“It's Wednesday, and the party was last Tuesday; that is, not yesterday, but eight days ago.”
- Most recently.“When we last met, he was based in Toronto.”
- after everything else; finally“As I arrived last of all, I'll go last to add the butter last.”
Where does last come from?
From Middle English laste, latst, syncopated variant of latest, both ultimately from Old English latost.
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with last
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of last.
Questions about saying last
How do you pronounce last?
Say LAST. The American pronunciation is /læst/. In British English it is /lɑːst/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in last?
Last is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: LAST.
Is last pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. British speakers use the long "ah" vowel of father where Americans use the "a" of cat. The British form is /lɑːst/ (LAHST).